Princess Grace Can Answer Many Questions in Friday's Pin Oak Valley View

Susan and John Moore’s homebred Princess Grace, undefeated in two starts, will take a major step up Friday in the 30^thrunning of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going 
1 1/16 miles on the grass.

“We will find out a little bit more about her tomorrow,” trainer Mike Stidham said Thursday morning. “I scratched her out of the stakes at Pimlico (the Hilltop on Oct. 3) because the course was yielding and I didn’t want to run her over soft ground. That spot was a little more reasonable than this, but there are not a lot of options.”

In a field of 12 in the Pin Oak Valley View, Princess Grace will be the least experienced. She did not race until August at Colonial Downs and won again five weeks later at Monmouth Park. Both races were at a mile on firm ground.

She had been ready to run over the winter at Fair Grounds.

“She had a very, very minor issue; nothing serious,” Stidham said. “It slowed her up a bit but we gave her time to get over it and she has been fine since.”

Shaun Bridgmohan will be aboard for the first time Friday in the Pin Oak Valley View.

Stidham had two near misses Saturday in Grade 1 stakes run less than an hour apart, both for Godolphin.

Mystic Guide came up three-quarters of a length short of victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, and Micheline was beaten by the same margin here in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana.

“They are both back at Fair Hill (Training Center in Maryland),” Stidham said. “Micheline went back Tuesday. Mystic Guide … we are kind of looking over everything and looking at the field for the Breeders’ Cup, which is unlikely. The ($500,000) Clark (G1 on Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs) is a possibility.”